TACLOBAN CITY - The National Nutrition Council Region VIII concluded the 2022 Nutrition Month (Celebration with a culmination and awarding ceremony at the Robinson’s Place in Marasbaras, Tacloban City.

Beyond the NM culmination and awarding ceremony is NNC8 continued advocacy on bringing all nutrition stakeholders and partners in improving nutrition outcomes in the region.

The event was participated by various sectors including members of the Regional Nutrition Committee, Regional Nutrition Technical Working Group, media groups, other regional line agencies, nutrition workers such as Nutrition Action Officers, District/City Nutrition Program Coordinators and Barangay Nutrition Scholars (BNSs), development partners, civil society organizations and the youth sectors.

The event was warmly welcomed by Robinson’s Place Regional Operations Manager, Ms. Jennifer Puno, an NNC8 newly ally. Robinson’s Place is the co-convenor of the Regional Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) movement under the business sector with Tacloban City Chamber of Commerce as the lead convenor.

The same event was graced by Mr. Edward F. Lora, Nutrition Action Officers Association of the Philippines (NAOPA) Eastern Visayas chapter president and Hilongos Municipal Nutrition Action Officer, and Congressman Bem Noel, An Waray Partylist Representative. Both gave their respective inspirational message.

While MNAO Edward F. Lora emphasized the role of the MNAOs in bringing down all forms of malnutrition through scaling up nutrition actions, Congressman Bem Noel vowed to uplift the status of Barangay Nutrition Scholars (BNSs) and Barangay Health Workers (BHWs).

He promised to file a bill in Congress that will standardize the honorarium of both community-based volunteers and protect their security of tenure even if they are volunteers.

Moreover, Congressman Noel also vowed to help the National Nutrition Council 8 through the youth in terms of helping BNSs in gathering data through helping them in Operation Timbang and various nutrition sensitive programs such as livelihood and home backyard gardening.

Other activities of the event included instant nutrition quiz-bees and nutrition accessories where participants don their fruits and vegetable as accessories to highlight the importance of good nutrition in the new normal. Winners were given instant tokens, certificates, and cash prices.

Earlier, invited judges choose winners of the month-long digital poster making contest and healthy food preparation Tiktok challenge. Winners were also handed over tokens, certificates, and cash prices.

The closing remarks was given by NNC8 Regional Nutrition Program Coordinator Dr. Catalino P. DotolloJr. He thanked all nutrition stakeholders and partners including local government units who took efforts during the month-long NM festivities.

He challenged all sectors and LGUs to scale up their programs, projects, and activity in their respective sectoral plans as the country transition from the COVID 19 pandemic to endemic mode in the new normal.

Before the program ended, Dr. Dotollo lead the attendees to recite their Pledge of Commitment. He further instructed to in the form to place their agency/sectors and have it signed at the end. Dotollo said he will collect all Pledge of Commitments and monitor their status.

“With the enthusiasm shown by nutrition stakeholders and partners and LGUs, the region has only one vision and that is making Eastern Visayas (EV) as “the home of the healthiest” Dr. Dotollo said.

He added, “before making EV the home of the healthiest let us all make Nutrisyon Sapat, Para sa Lahat”, Dr. Dotollo concluded. #RNPC-CPD.